United States Supreme Court Denies Federal Government’s Petition to end DACA

On February 26, 2018, the U. S. Supreme Court refused to hear and rule on the Federal Government’s petition to overturn a lower court’s decision to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) in effect. The Supreme Court order stated: “It is assumed the court of appeals will act expeditiously to decide this case.”

Monday’s high court ruling effectively stops the Trump administration’s plan to end DACA on March 5, 2018. Under the lower court’s January 9 order, the Department of Homeland Security must continue to accept renewal applications from approximately 780,000 young people currently enrolled in DACA. If Congress moves ahead to either extend DACA, or provides an alternative path to citizenship for current enrollees, the pending lower court case will probably be dismissed.